Stable isotope evidence of human diet at the Nukdo shell midden site, South Korea

Abstract

Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis was undertaken on bone collagen extracted from archaeological human ( n = 48) and animal ( n = 45) skeletons from the Nukdo site, Location I C, South Korea. This shell midden and grave site is dated from the late Mumun (550–300 BC) to early Iron Age (300 BC-1 AD) periods. The herbivorous mammals fell within the range of C 3 consumers, with average values of δ 13C = −21.0 ± 0.5‰ and δ 15N = 3.6 ± 0.5‰ for deer ( n = 16) and δ 13C = −20.6 ± 0.5‰ and δ 15N = 4.5 ± 2.0‰ for wild boar ( n = 17). Humans from this site averaged δ 13C = −18.3 ± 0.4‰ and δ 15N = 11.2 ± 0.7‰ for adults ( n = 15) and δ 13C = −18.7 ± 0.7‰ and δ 15N = 12.5 ± 1.1‰ for juveniles ( n = 33). These δ 13C values indicate that there was no significant input of C 4 plants in the human diets and this may be associated with the spread of rice agriculture in the Mumun period. Human bone collagen δ 13C and δ 15N values indicate that there was some consumption of marine foods, although the main protein sources were from terrestrial foods. The isotope data demonstrate that the humans at Nukdo had mixed diets that included marine and terrestrial protein, including C 3 plants such as rice. Finally, the isotope results from the juveniles indicate that weaning occurred before the age of 1.5 years in this period.